Help Your Motorcycle 'Breathe' Easier

Although I did not go so far as to put the machine on a dyno to analyze the horsepower affects, I did measure an immediate gas mileage increase of 2-4 miles per gallon after installation. With current gasoline prices at or near the $4 per gallon mark, this was enough of a selling point for me.

After installing the air filter (PN HD-0910), it also seemed the motorcycle was “breathing” a lot more easily. I could hear a distinct difference at idle.

Beyond immediate improvement to throttle response, there was also the absence of an occasional cough that was most common on a quick throttle take-off. This generally happened in the past if I did not let the motorcycle warm up to a decent operating temperature before riding. This effect disappeared with the K&N filter.

During the almost 5,000 miles of riding on which I used the K&N air filter, I cleaned it once using K&N’s Recharger Filter Service Kit (PN 99-5050) after around 2,500 miles of use. There was a significant amount of debris captured by the filter that was visible in the residue washed away during the process.

The cleaning process itself was virtually effortless and the kit’s instructions made it so easy a caveman could to do it—and, yes, I’m proof!

The K&N Oil Filter (PN KN-171C) was another great addition. In terms of measurable benefit, I noticed that the oil pressure immediately read between 4-8 PSI higher after installation, according to the bike’s gauges.

Overall, installation was a breeze on both filters. For those who like the extra security of safety wire, there is also a pre-drilled hole in the oil filter that can be used if your operating environment calls for it.

I happy with both of these filters, and I regret not going with K&N before. I intend to use them in my bikes going forward.